VOV.VN - The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting announced on December 21 that a tropical low pressure system has formed in the eastern waters of the southern region of the Philippines and has strengthened into a new tropical storm (international name Tembin). 

Hanoi plans to put up kiosks at hospitals for people to lodge complains or their dissatisfaction about health check-ups and treatment quality via a software.

A US women’s delegation led by activist Merle Evelyn Ratner met with female journalists at the Sai Gon Giai phong newspaper office on December 20.

The south central province of Phu Yen has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to approve adding three solar power projects to the Provincial Power Development Planning in 2011-2015 period, with a vision to 2020, a local senior official has said.

The sustainable development of the Mekong Delta must go in hand with its long-term ability to recover and adapt to the multi-dimensional impacts of climate change, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has said.

 The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the Centre of Workers of Cuba have enjoyed sound friendship and supported each other at international forums, said VGCL President Bui Van Cuong.

Ho Chi Minh City recorded an average prenatal and newborn screening rate at over 80% on an annual basis since 2011, heard a meeting celebrating Vietnam's Population Day (Dec. 26) held in the city on December 20.

Eleven houses in Tien Thanh commune in Phan Thiet city of the south central coastal province of Binh Thuan collapsed on December 20 due to coast erosion triggered by high tide and strong wind.

The Military Command of the northern province of Tuyen Quang on December 19 successfully destroyed a 337kg bomb left from the war in the Lo River at An Loc A commune, An Khang commune, Tuyen Quang city.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said it is a must to improve the quality and operational efficiency of grassroots-level health care centres in order to attract more patients. 

The job market in Vietnam is expected to be largely positive next year as the country continues to develop its manufacturing base, recruitment companies said.

The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin (VAVA) mobilised nearly VND306 billion (US$13.5 million) to support AO victims in 2017, heard a conference in Hanoi on December 19. 

The Irish Government is going to support Vietnam’s efforts to develop ethnic minority areas with 12.6 million EUR (US$14.9 million) between 2017 and 2020.

Cultural researchers and war veterans again assessed the significance of the Spring 1968 Uprising at a symposium held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on December 20. 

Numerous activities are being held across the country to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22).

Though Vietnam has a golden population structure until 2042, with the rapid population aging speed like at present, economic gains from population will sharply decline from 2019.

VOV.VN - An awards ceremony for a contest on the history of Vietnam-Laos special ties was held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi on December 20.

VOV.VN -A 45-year-old Hanoi man was killed in an early morning house fire on December 20.

The University of Science of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNUH) has met criteria for university quality assessment at institutional level under the ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance’s (AUN-QA).

Journalists from the Foreign Press Association in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (APES) praised Vietnam’s development after their recent week-long trip to the country.

Hoi An city in the central province of Quang Nam  has begun the second trial of a public bus route connecting An Bang and Cua Dai beaches, the old quarter and Tre Que vegetable gardens before launching the service in 2019.

From 2015 to July 2017, HCM City’s Pasteur Institute collected 2,220 samples from diarrhoea patients aged under five for rotavirus tests. The results showed more than 45% of samples were positive, Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

A Ministry of Health report reveals that each year 100,000 labourers in the country were checked for occupational diseases and more than 5,000 found to have diseases.

Women have given birth to a total of 5,643 babies via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) at Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital in HCM City since 1998, according to the hospital, one of the leaders in offering IVF services in the country.

The Investigation Security Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on December 20 began legal proceedings against Phung Dinh Thuc, former General Director of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam).

FrieslandCampina Vietnam has been ranked among the 100 most sustainable businesses of 2017 for its contributions to the sustainable development of the country.

Hanoi has signed several cooperation programmes with international partners to promote the capital city’s images abroad.

An international workshop on environmental risk assessment and human health opened in the central province of Binh Dinh on December 19, aiming to seek solutions to environmental management in Vietnam.  

Vietnam will contribute more to the United Nations peacekeeping operations, said Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh.

Programmes and projects funded by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have actively contributed to poverty reduction and socio-economic development in Vietnam, heard a conference in Hanoi on December 19.